410 THE GHOtJNDSWELL. 



reasons : &quot; (1.) Because no provisions had been made for 

 insuring to independent trains and engines access to sta 

 tions and watering places along the lines. (2.) Because the 

 rates for toll limited by the act were almost always so high 

 as to make it difficult for independent persons to work at a 

 profit. (3.) Because the necessity of placing the running 

 of all trains under th^ complete control of one head inter 

 posed numerous difficulties in the way of independent trad 

 ers.&quot; To which conclusions the committee sensibly added : 

 &quot; That, however, improvidently Parliament may, in the first 

 instance, have granted to the railway companies such ex 

 tensive powers, it is now advisable to interfere with them as 

 little as possible.&quot; 



Complaints against the railways still being persistently 

 urged, in 1844 another Select Committee, after giving the 

 question a more thorough consideration than it had hitherto 

 received, observed that &quot;the complaint of monopoly urged 

 against railways was an indication of the benefits they had 

 conferred on the country, as it was not by force of special 

 privileges bestowed upon them, but by superior accommoda 

 tion and cheapness, that they had acquired the command of 

 traveling in their district ; that railway enterprise should be 

 encouraged ; that the country still afforded great scope for the 

 extension of the railway system ; that Parliament should take 

 no step which would induce so much as a reasonable suspi 

 cion of its good faith with regard to the integrity of privileges 

 already granted, because one of the elements of encouragement 

 to future undertakings was just and equitable dealings with 

 those already established.&quot; The foregoing italicised words, 

 taken &quot;from the Parliamentary Blue Book of 1867, page 11, 

 are as pertinent as though written yesterday for the infatu 

 ated people of Illinois to ponder over to-day. Disastrous 

 will it be alike for us and the too-confiding foreigners, whosQ 



